Detachable ladder-hook.



H. M. LUCAS.

DBTAGHABL LADDER HOOK.

ARDLIOATON FILED (mamma, 1911.

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HOWARD lVI. LUCAS, OIF GATUN, CANAL ZONE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 HERBERT Si TOMPKINS, 0F GATUN, CANAL ZONE.

DETACHABLE LADDER-HOOK.

Losanna.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2,1 91 2.

Application filed October 25, 1911. Serial No. 656,774.

To all whom t may concern; K

Be it -known that l, l-lowA'nn M. LUCAS, formerly of; Watertown, Jefferson county, New York, a citizen of the United States7 residing at Gattin, Canal Zone,` Panama, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Detachable Ladder-Hooks, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to detachable lad der hooks, designed for use in connection with fire and other ladders, and has for its object to provide a novel, simple, convenient and inexpensive attachment for ladders, whereby any of the ordinary lire ladders may be converted into what is known as rootl or scalingladders, and the said hooks may be applied to, and removed from the ladders, or 'transferred from one ladder to another in a quick and ready manner. And a further object is to provide means for adjusting' the said hooks to ladders of ditferent sizes.

Other features and parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed de scription which follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a iace view of a ladder, having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view; showing' the hooks in` tcrlocked with the ladder. Fig. 3 is a simi lar sectional View; showing' the hooks partially detached. Fig'. 4 is an enlarged dctail view, illustrating the adjustable parts. Fig. 5 is a perspective view oi" the detachable hooks. Fig', is an elevational view; showing' a modied tonni of the device.

Similar characters of reference are -assigned to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

lleretot'ore, most. oi the roof and scaling ladders used by the fire departments have been titted with hooks permanently attached to the ends of the ladders, and therefore not capable ot being detached, or transferred from one ladder to another. old arrangement, whenever either' the ladders or the hooks become broken or impaired, the department is without means of restoring' the said equipment except by obtaining' new ladders.

lt is a particular object of the presentI invention to provide novel and simple detachable hooks, which are capable of being readily and quickly applied to any of the ordi Under this' nary fire ladders in a few moments time, and which are also capable of being' transferred from a damaged to a perfect ladder without requiring' any alteration or change in the 'ladder' or in the hooks.

A description of my detachable hooks lollows:

In the drawing' 2 represciits the side rails of a ladder, and 3 the series ot' rounds which connect the rails together in the usual manner.

My improved device. consists ol a pair ot like side pieces, or arms 4, which are connected together and held parallel with each other, by means of a cross-rod 5 which is disposed near the lower ends. The arms #l are preferably made out'y ot' flat wrought' metal, and their upper ends are formed with large hooks 6, which have sharp points tor positively hooking or attaching' the device to the root', or to the window sills of a building, tor temporarily supporting the ladder to which the hooks are applied. The lower ends ot the arms or bars'll are formed into smaller hooks 7 adapted for engaging' and ngripping one ot the rounds 3 of the ladder.

The hooks 7 are prel'ei'ably formed on the p same side ot the arms 4 as the hooks t3, and the arms 4 when connected up ready to be applied lto the ladderv` are intended to lie between, and to b e disposed substantially Hush with one edge ot' the rails 2 ofthe ladder. The hooks 7 preferably engage and grip the second round from the end of the ladder, as shown in the drawing'. To cure the detachable hooks to the ladder, l provide a swinging' catch or clamp, which comprises a pair of like side pieces or bars S, which are connected and held parallel to `ach other by crossrods tl and l0, and when the parts are assembled, the whole ol' the catch is intended to lit loosely between thc said arms l. the rod Sl preferably passes through the lower ends of the side pieces S. and then through thc arms l of the main hooks, for pivot-ally connecting the clamp to said arms. The rod 10 passes through the upper ends of the parts S, and this rod is fitted with a `pair ot depending porto rated lugs ll which are disposed near thtl middle ot said rod. 'The' lower end otl each of the side bars 8 is formed with a laterally and downwardly facing hook l2, which is arranged to engage and grip the topmost round for completing the attachment of 'ot' each ladder is substantially' the same.

the device to the ladder. The hooks 7 of the arms d, and the hooks 12 of the clamp are preferably spaced so that when the clamp is swung into closed position, as shown'in Figs. 1 and 2, all of said hooks are made to tightly grip the adjacent rounds 3, for holding the device in service position. After the ycatch or clamp is swung into locking posibars a of the hooks, when it is desired to release the clamp and swing the said part away from the upper round 3, as shown in Fig. 3. To release the bolts 13 and 14 simultaneoulsy the operator should grasp the lugs 17 with thumb and finger and press them `together. with coil-springs 18, which exert their tension for holding the bolts interlocked with.

the arms 1l. To apply the device to a ladder, the small hooks 7 are irst hooked over the second round 3, as vshown in Fig. 3, and then the whole device is swung toward the ladder until the arms Ll Contact with the. upper round 3, when the clamp may he swung from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, which brings the hooks' 12 into engagement with the saidvround, as best seen in Fig. 2. swung inwardly until its side bars 8 coincide with the arms 4 and the rails 2, the latch bolts 12 and 13 will be forced by the tension of the springs 18 into the perforations 1f; of the bars 4, which will effect the locking of the clamp. V

Practically all tire ladders are so Constructedthat the rounds forv the different sized ladders have the same spacing and thespacing of the rounds throughout the lengtrh .Lt Jremiently happens, however, that attcr the ladders are made and become seasoned. there is a slight variation in the spacing o the Yrounds of the different ladders, and s()'111eti1nes in the same ladder, due to the expansion or contraction ot the wood, of which the ladders are made'. For this reason some -means of adjustment is required in order to properly and safely apply my detachable hooks. To this endA l provide adjustable parts comprising blocks 19 which 'are slidable in the hooks?? of the arms "d, the said -bloclts being held in place by side lugs 20.

The upper faces of the 'said blocks have' semi-circular notches* or grooves to receive or engage the rounds. l 21 represents the ad- The said bolts are provided.

When the clamp is.

j usting screws which pass through threaded holes in the hooks/7 and their upper ends are swiveled to the blocks, 19, as shown in Fig. 4.

It is obvious thatlthe securing hooks and also the clamping parts may be arranged in the reverse order, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and thatA other changes and modifications may bemade in the device, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I th'erefore do not restrict myself to the pre# oise construction, arrangement and operation as herein shown anddescribed.

Having thus described my invention, whatA `part comprising parallel bars connected together, each of said bars having laterally and downwardly. facing hooks for engaging .the next round in the ladder, and means for pivotally connecting the said clampto the said arms.

2. A detachable ladder hook, comprisin parallel arms having small hooks atlone en adapted to grip a round of the ladder, and having large hooks at their opposite ends adapted for attaching the ladder to the roof or. otheyart of a building, a swinging catch ivoted etween said arms, adapted to grip tile topmost round of the ladder for interlocking the device with the ladder, and av pair of spring controlled latch-bolts `for locking the catch 'to said arms.

' 3. Detachable ladder hooks, comprising parallel arms capable of being disposed between the rails of a ladder, one end of said arms overhanging the end of the ladder, and formed into scaling hooks, the opposite ends of said arms adapted to gri;`

va round oi the ladder, a pivoted clamp disposed between said arms, adapted to grip a round between said first round and the end ot the ladder for locking said hooks to the ladder, and a block and a screw carried by each of said arms for adjusting said arms to rounds of different spacing.

4l. Detachable ladder hooks, comprising parallel bars, having one end bent for gripping a round ot'- a ladder, and having their opposite ends projectingbeyond the end of the ladder, said ends bent to form'sharppointed scaling-hooks adapted for attaching the ladder to another object, a swinging clamp disposed between, and intermediate the ends of said bars, adapted to grip the round nearest the end of the ladder for securing said bars to the ladder, means for pivotally connecting'one end oit' said clamp to said bars, and means for locking the opposite end of the said clamp to said bars.

5. A pair of parallel arms having their upper ends 'formed into scaling hooks for clinging to a roof or Window sill, and having their lower ends formed into securing hooks adapted to grip a round of a ladder, the said hooks arranged 0n the same side of said arms, and the said arms disposed parallel to each other and adapted to lie oetween the rails of the ladder, a swinging clamp pivoted between saidarms intermediate the said hooks, the said clamp having securing hooks adapted to engage an adjacent round of the ladder and to be swung into coincidence with said arms, for locking the said arms t0 the ladder7 and a pair of spring Controlled latch-bolts for looking he clamp to the said arms.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence ol two Witnesses.

HOWARD M. LUCAS. 

